CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Golden State
Warriors found a home for the disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson on
Monday, sending him to the Charlotte Bobcats in a four-player deal that
pairs him with coach Larry Brown.
The Bobcats sent shooting guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Warriors for Jackson and guard Acie Law.
The deal gives Jackson his wish: a
ticket out of town after his difficult relationship with Warriors coach
Don Nelson, who acknowledged last week they had been trying to trade
him.
Charlotte takes on Jackson's
contract, which has three years and $28 million left after this season.
Golden State inherits Radmanovic's deal, worth about $13.5 million over
this season and next. Bell and Law are in the final year of their
contracts.
Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins
said Jackson was on his way from Milwaukee, where the Warriors played
Saturday, to Orlando, where the Bobcats played later Monday.
"We had an opportunity to bring a
starter to our lineup," Higgins said. "A guy we envision starting at
the [shooting] guard spot. He's coming off arguably his best season
last year. I spoke to Stephen, and he's very excited to come here."
The 6-foot-8 Jackson gives Charlotte,
the NBA's lowest-scoring team at 82.4 points a game, an immediate
offensive boost. He's averaging 16.6 points in nine games this season,
after averaging 20.7 points and 6.5 assists last season.
But the 31-year-old Jackson also
brings off-court baggage, from suspensions to his recent trade demands
and a sideline blowup with Nelson in an exhibition game. He recently
relinquished his captain title with Golden State.
"People's past are indeed that,"
Higgins said. "Our relationship with him is going to start today. We
will embrace him and work with him to, first of all, try to improve our
basketball team, and secondly, to bring him into our core and our
organization."
The 33-year-old Bell departs after
being acquired by Charlotte from Phoenix in a trade less than a year
ago. He's been playing this season with a partially torn ligament in
his left wrist and is averaging 12 points.
He also could provide needed veteran
leadership on Golden State's young roster that includes rookie Stephen
Curry and second-year pro Anthony Morrow.
The 6-foot-10 Radmanovic was
acquired last season in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and is an
outside shooting threat that will give the Warriors more size. He had
been miscast this season as Brown had him playing power forward because
of depth issues.
Law is averaging 6.2 points and gives Charlotte another option in its backcourt.
But Brown's biggest challenge will
be getting Jackson to fit into his demanding system after yet another
roster shuffle for a team off to a disappointing 3-6 start. The Bobcats
have made five trades involving 17 players in 11 months since Brown
began his record ninth NBA head coaching job last season.